I know the dandelion season is fast approaching and this year I would like to use some in recipes. I understand that they are very healthy and I'm good an' ready for a spring tonic! Anybody use them?

-- Karen Braun (jbraun@one.net), March 21, 2001

Answers

Sure do .....I make delicious (if i may say so myself) dandelion wine.....bottle it in April/May and drink it at Christmas and New Years. YUM! Other folks use the washed stems in salads..tried it but didn't like it..God bless.

-- Lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), March 21, 2001.

I collect young leaves,, and add them to salads. On a camping trip,, made coffee from a roasted groud root.

-- Stan (sopal@net-port.com), March 21, 2001.

I prefer to keep them scattered around the yard.

-- Gary (gws@redbird.net), March 21, 2001.

I eat the leaves in salad for their bitter actions, dry the roots for medicine (liver tonic). The dried leaves in an infusion (tea) also have a diuretic affect and are high in potassium. Some people use the milky juice within the stem as a wart cure.

-- amy (acook@in4web.com), March 21, 2001.

Karen - my personal favorite is dandelion jelly. Haven't had it in years - - Hmmm, perhaps I should make some again when they pop up this spring.

-- lynette henson (beckerl@jud.state.mi.us), March 21, 2001.

Yes, I pick early (before spinach bolting heat) the tender new leaves, not over 2" long, anything bigger may be bitter from age or exposure. I like them in saled, or slightly wilted with spinach. The taste is a little intense, so be prepared. Also, if you just pick them out of your yard, wash them good in case of someone elses plant poison making it to your yard, or in case local dogs utilize your yard....

-- Marty (Mrs.Puck@Excite.com), March 21, 2001.

We make dandelion wine and jelly from the petals. I'll look up recipes if anyone wants them. We also use the greens in salads. The very young leaves don't have a bitter taste. You can also invert plant pots over dandelion patches to force tender non-bitter larger leaves.

-- David C (fleece@eritter.net), March 21, 2001.

Dandelion jelly recipe in the archives under 4 jellies and a jam. I got "the Dandelion Celelbration by Peter Gail" through Countryside. Breaded dandylion heads are delicious, dip in batter and deep fat fry.

-- Cindy (SE In) (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), March 21, 2001.

If I start canning damdelion's my husband would declare war on me, because that's what he does on them, hey good luck using them. God Bless.

-- tracy emily in TN (emilyfarms@tsixroads.com), March 21, 2001.

Fry a few slices of bacon. Remove bacon from pan. Add dandelion greens to fill skillet. Sautee in grease. Stir frequently. When tender, ( 20 minutes +) add crumbled bacon. If you like, add a few scrambled eggs to the pan. Good eating.

-- Terri Perry (teperry@stargate.net), March 22, 2001.

Hello Karen, The folks around here, (Ozarks) eat the yellow flowers on the dandy lions. You have to pick them in the mornings and cook them in the mornings also, as they will close up during the evening as most flowers do anyway. You just dip the in egg batter, dredge them in flour and fry them up in your skillet. Serve them with you usual eggs and bacon. They taste like breaded mushrooms! Mmmmmm! Sincerely, Ernest http://communities.msn.com/livingoffthelandintheozarks

-- Ernest in the Ozarks (espresso42@hotmail.com), March 22, 2001.

Karen -

Dandelions are such wonderful little 'weeds'!!! Let's see... where to begin...

Flowers: wine, salads, greenish/yellow dye (depending on mordant, if any) as was said above, dipped in batter and fried...

Leaves: same as above, dark green dye, tea

Roots: dried and powdered they can be added to flour to stretch it, also good dried in tea for any trouble whatsoever to do with the urinary tract, and mild but effective diuretic. Also yield a strong dye... But color varies for me...

The milk from the stems has been used on bug bites, but is too sticky to use in lotions.

-- Sue Diederich (willow666@rocketmail.com), March 22, 2001.

growing up in pennsylvania each spring we looked forward to a salad made with the greens here's the recipe if you wnt it.

1 egg 2 tablespoons flour 1/2 cup sugar 1/3 cup vinegar 1 cup milk 5 or 6 slices of thick cut bacon

fry bacon until golden brown remove from frying pan and crumble bacon + 2 tablespoons of bacon fat. return to frying pan and add the following:

mix the egg, flour, and sugar together and make a paste. stir in the vinegar and milk to make a slightly thickened sauce . salt and pepper to taste. pour this into the pan with the bacon and bacon fat and stir until it is quite thick almost like thick pudding.

serve this over dandilion greens and some chopped onion (optional) serve immediately while hot.

good.....good.....good

-- sally stanton (mallardhen67@hotmail.com), March 22, 2001.

Easiest and (I think) best: Stir fry in olive oil and sprinkle with cider vinegar. That's it! If you want to complicate it, you can add onions or other vegetables to the stir fry, but if the dandelions are young, they are delicious as is. More mature dandelions become tough and bitter.

-- Ellie (ekshulman@webtv.net), March 22, 2001.

I saute the greens in oil and drizzle em with cider vinegar. I've used them in omelets too. Batter and fry the flowers. Never messed with the root...yet! I let some flowers go to seed so I can grow some more dandy dandylions ;-)

-- Bob Johnson (Backwoods_Bob@excite.com), March 23, 2001.

Dandelions are great food for rabbits, give them the whole plant root and all.

-- Bruce Burdge (comfreybruce@richmond.com), March 23, 2001.